Orangetheory Fitness to Open Soon in Billings

One of the country’s most popular and fastest growing fitness franchises will soon have a studio in Billings.

Tempe Connell is opening Orangetheory Fitness Billings, in late fall, at the corner of King Avenue West and Shiloh. As with all Orangetheory studios, the business is independently owned but adheres to the strict standards of the worldwide franchise – standards which are catapulting the unique workout to new fitness zeniths all over the world. Orangetheory Fitness has 700 locations open in the US, and is located in 15 countries.

Orangetheory Fitness offers heartrate -based interval training, on a class basis, with coaches certified as physical trainers, who have been additionally trained by Orangetheory Fitness, explained Connell. It’s a very high end studio and model – “very professional.” The franchise is very strict about adhering to their requirements and standards.

Construction is currently in progress at 8824 Shiloh Crossing Boulevard, to build the most up-to-date studio, featuring the best equipment. “We are never winging it,” she says, “We do things by the book.”

The same is in progress in Bozeman, where Connell is opening another Orangetheory Fitness studio, which will open in winter or early spring. Connell said that a friend is in the process of opening another Orangetheory Fitness studio in Missoula.

Connell is partners in three franchise locations in Utah.

“Orangetheory Fitness is an amazing fitness studio that changes your life,” enthuses Connell. That is certainly what it did for her. Never one to be very involved with fitness, Connell walked into an Orangetheory Fitness studio in Arizona, one day, just wanting to be able to keep up with a friend who was a runner. She was amazed at the difference the regime made in her life, and it’s a difference she wants to share with others.

“I know that I can change lives. If one person comes in and works out and feels better about themselves, and it has a ripple effect, and they make someone else feel better, then I have accomplished,” said Connell.

So what’s the thing about “orange”?

Orange is a zone, one of five that Orangetheory Fitness has identified by colors, regarding heart function. Orange was chosen to represent the point at which the heart is functioning at 85 percent of its maximum – when it’s producing most efficiently the greatest amount of energy, and pulling the greatest amount of oxygen into the body. That’s the zone in which the body burns the most fat and every cell is energized. “Orange means energy….We want to paint Billings orange,” said Connell, a Montana native, who has her roots in Yellowstone County, having attended high school at Huntley Project and having been raised on a family farm. She is very pleased about being able to bring this concept home.

The science behind Orangetheory Fitness is really nothing new – the franchise just presents it more effectively and in a fun way. It is the science of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (or EPOC). It’s about burning the maximum number of calories for an hour (500 to 1000), and to continue to burn calories for 36 hours. “It’s not a before and after thing; it’s a ‘before and during,’” said Connell, “We don’t want there to be an ‘after’ … we want you to keep burning calories and to keep feeling great.. and you will, because you will have a ton more energy.”

What a client gets from the program depends on what they want. Maybe it’s to feel better, or to be strong enough to play with their grandchildren, or an iron man keeping up with their workouts, or to get in shape for the Olympics – which is quite literally what they do at Orangetheory Fitness in Park City, Utah.

Classes are always a combination of cardio and resistance training, and that resistance comes from a combination of one’s own body weght and free weights. “We don’t use a lot of machines,” said Connell. Those they do use are a tread mill with variable inclines and speed, and a Water Rower, which is very low impact and uses 80 percent of the body to row against water resistance.

Classes will be held throughout each day beginning at 5 am through 8 pm.

Anyone who is a member may book classes anywhere in the country that there is an Orangetheory Fitness studio.

About a month before they open, Connell said they will ask that persons, who have physical training certification, audition with them to fill six to eight positions as fitness coaches.

The rates charged by Orangetheory Fitness are set by the company and there are no discounts – except before they open. Even though construction is going on, a preview center is open daily at the studio at Shiloh Crossing, and anyone interested may sign up to reserve their discount rates.

More information is available on Facebook at Orangetheory Fitness Billings, or on the company website at OrangtheoryFitness.com, where typing in your zip code will open the Billings page. The Billings phone number is 656-1144.

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The Big Sky Business Journal is a locally owned bi-weekly news publication located in Billings, Montana. It was started by Dennis and Evelyn Pyburn in 1982, making it the first business publication in the state. It is the only independent business publication (not associated with daily newspapers) in the Montana.